Wanganui District Council has vowed to take "all legal, political and administrative steps" to prevent the man dubbed the 'Beast of Blenheim' from moving to the area.
In a meeting tonight, the council voted unanimously to take all measures to stop Stewart Murray Wilson, 64, from being placed in the Wanganui commnunity when he is released from prison next month.
As yet the legal steps the council will take have not been announced, but councillor Michael Laws confirmed a judicial review will take place.
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It comes as Wilson's lawyers said the repeat offender "deserves to get on with his life".
Appearing on TV ONE's Close Up tonight, Wilson's lawyer, Andrew McKenzie, said that his client is hoping he can put matters behind him, and remain offence free.
This man needs to be released, and people need to take the view that providing that there is community safety, he deserves to get on with his life," he said.
McKenzie added that the Corrections Department is "forcing" the serial sex offender to go somewhere he does not want to go and "where the community don't want him".
"Community safety is an important issue, and obviously there needs to be sensible conditions around that," he said.
"But what Wilson says is that the conditions that have been put in place are not sensible and - if not setting him up to fail - fanning the hysteria unfortunately surrounding this release."
However, speaking from a special meeting being held by the Wanganui District Council tonight, councillor Michael Laws told Close Up that the council was united in making sure Wilson was stopped from being released into the district.
"There are only two motions on the floor. One is to resist the probation, or parole, of Stewart Murray Wilson into our community and the second one is to take all political, legal and administrative steps to effect that policy change," he said.
"This man does not need to be released. He is a huge danger wherever he goes."
Strong community opposition
Following community opposition, the focus of the council's meeting tonight was to receive legal advice about what action it may be able to take to stop Wilson from being released into their neighbourhood.
Wanganui Mayor Annette Main said councillors will raise issues from resource consent to an "actual review of the judicial decisions made by the parole board".
Corrections Chief Executive Ray Smith was in attendance at the meeting.
After 18 years in jail, Wilson is to be released on parole on September 1 to monitored accommodation in the grounds of Wanganui Prison, near Kaitoke.
Corrections says Wilson will live under some of the most stringent conditions they have ever created.
However, Michael Bott from the Council for Civil Liberties says that the community pressure could have a downside if Wilson is moved without breaching his conditions.
"We have a saying in New Zealand if you do the crime you do the time," he said.
"He's done his time therefore he has an entitlement legally to live in a residence in New Zealand.
"The real risk is that the department may not tell the communities, and the people of Wanganui - or the next place - do they really want that to happen where they have these people in their midst, they don't know who they are and they can't monitor them," Bott said.
Wanganui councillors hope to give the community an answer tonight on how they intend on dealing with the issue.
Bail appeal
While the council will soon announce what legal steps it will take, Wilson is appealing his strict bail conditions, including wearing a GPS tracking device and not being allowed to leave his house unaccompanied.
McKenzie said an application was filed last Friday at the Christchurch High Court and after direction from a judge a further statement of claim was made on Tuesday.
This is set to be reviewed on Monday in the High Court.
"Wanganui council's indicated they want to make some challenges to Wilson's placement, and it makes sense that the judge hears all the challenges in one place in one time," McKenzie said
"Corrections sought 21 conditions of parole and the parole board approved 17 of them - out of the 17 Wilson is challenging eight."
McKenzie hopes the hearing is dealt with as a matter of urgency.
"I think it's important for the people of Wanganui to know that this is all lawful and above board and for everyone to be aware exactly what the terms of parole are."
When asked how confident he was that Wilson will not reoffend he said he does not, as his lawyer, have a view on that.
"Wilson has rights, he has rights to be released and obviously there are a lot of things in place to ensure that there is no reoffending.
"We need to remember of course that most of his offending happened 20 to 30 years ago.
"Now he's over 65 and circumstances are quite different next month than they were in 1975 or 1985 or 1990."
McKenzie said he has never experienced any aggression from Wilson, but he imagines others have a different view on that.
"A couple of years ago Wilson did give a half-baked apology saying he regretted things that happened. I am sure victims want would something more," McKenzie said.